


Unexpected Asgardian Surprise

by peacelovemendax



Category: Loki - Fandom, Thor (Movies)
Genre: College Student, F/M, library meeting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 20:53:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1124271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacelovemendax/pseuds/peacelovemendax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My very first time uploading fanfiction! Just something I thought up while at work the other day... Anja's job is blatantly mine, and I hope others can get into it. Loki appears on Earth and finds a girl who can hold her own against him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

As I woke up that Thursday morning, everything seemed normal. I wiped the sleep from my eyes as I showered and gathered my things for a long day. I had three literature classes, followed by an eight hour shift at my university’s library until it closed at midnight. I enjoyed my studies and work, and it was the happiest I’d been in my entire life. At school I analyzed books, and at night I ensured that they made it back to their shelves safely. That didn’t necessarily mean that I was always thrilled to spend 14 hours at school, but a copious amount of caffeine helped me get through the day (and night).

            I sighed as I walked into work and saw shelves filled with books waiting to be put away. I usually didn’t leave the desk at night, but if I didn’t make any progress that night they might overflow the next day. I slapped together a cart of classics and headed to the top floor. In the elevator, I scrolled through my playlist and inserted my earbuds. Some music—Lorde, on that particular night—would get me into a rhythm and make the time pass more quickly. I shelved a few Shakespearian analyses before one caught my eye, and I paged through it before putting it back on my cart. Maybe that one would have to come home with me. I turned the volume up on my music, and tried to focus on the task before me.

_I’ll see the veins of my city like they do in spa—_

Lorde was interrupted by a sharp cough to my left. I pulled my earphones out, turning red at making the patron work for my attention.

“I’m sorry, can I help you?” I was used to students and professors approaching me, but the man looking at me intently didn’t immediately appear to be either. He had shoulder length black hair, pale skin, and was dressed in black dress pants and a partially untucked green button-up shirt.

“I certainly hope so.” He purred as he spoke, then took to digging in his pockets, seemingly searching for something. I took advantage of the pause to wrap up my headphones and tuck my phone away. “I’m looking for a particular book…here is the title.” He handed me a torn-off corner of a piece of paper. It was wrinkled and the edges looked golden. The title was written in elaborate handwriting, and I squinted to read it.

“Let me go check, there’s a computer nearby. You can follow if you’d like.” He was incredibly tall, towering over my 5’3 frame. There were many times where I considered the hilarity of the situation, this little girl leading taller, imposing men around the library as they couldn’t find their books. This man seemed different, however. He had a strange accent and I couldn’t recall having seen him in my two years of working on campus. I typed the title—some kind of anthology of Norse mythological tales—into the system and was pleased to see a result. “It looks like we do have a copy! It’s in the basement with the religion books. Have you been down there before, or would you like some help?” He smirked.

“I think I can handle it.” I shrugged.

“Alright. Would you like me to write down the call number for you?” He stared at the screen for a moment, then shook his head.

“I’ll remember it.” With that, he was gone. I chuckled and went back to my shelving, hoping the rest of the evening would pass uneventfully.

            Instead of preparing another cart of books to shelve immediately after finishing my first batch, I sat down to gossip with my coworker Bridget. She was a few years older than me, and had graduated from the university with a degree in art.

“Did you see a strange guy come in earlier? Long, black hair, green shirt?” I wondered if she had noticed him as well.

“Ugh, no. I’ve been so busy fending off Creepster, I wouldn’t have seen a jet crash through.” We had a student who had been causing problems lately, whom we’d nicknamed “Creepster” to avoid saying his name. Although we could never definitively say it was him, he always happened to be hanging around when girls in study rooms received solicitations slipped under their doors. I cringed at the thought of dealing with him that night.

“Well, anyway, there’s this really strange guy walking around. I just wondered if you’d seen him. He was looking for a religious book earlier…maybe I should go check on him.”

“I don’t know why you try so hard. It’s not like you’re paid to be nice to them. ”I smiled as I clipped a walkie talkie onto my skirt’s waistband and walked toward the stairs.

“If I’m not back in an hour, call security.”

            I made my way through the archives, keeping an eye out for my mysterious stranger. Eventually I came to the religion section, where I spied the man leaning against a shelf and sighing. I tried not to look smug as I approached him.

“Find that book?” He looked startled to see me, and glanced behind him.

“Uhm… I was actually just browsing these other titles before I picked up that particular work…” I smiled and went to a section a couple of aisles further down. After a moment, I reemerged with the book he’d been looking for.

“Well, just in case you were having trouble locating it, here you go.” He reached out to take the book, and I noticed his delicate fingers as they wrapped around it.

“Are all Midgardians as brazen as you?” He seemed thoroughly amused as he spoke, and I began to understand why he seemed so strange.

“I’m sorry?” I feigned ignorance, but between his strange book and my knowledge of Norse mythology I was well aware of what type of person I was dealing with—and he wasn’t as person at all. My struggle was with the fact that he was real, and standing before me.

“You wouldn’t dare dishonor me so, if you only knew with whom you are speaking.”

“And that would be?” He studied me closely, and I tried to appear unaffected by his scrutiny.

“You know who I am, don’t you?” He stepped back, straightened up, and kept his gaze directed toward me. I stifled a shiver and nodded.

“Yes, I do. Now, if you’d like some assistance Mr. Laufeyson, please follow me upstairs to the circulation desk.” I turned to walk to the stairway, but he grasped my arm and I felt every one of his icy fingers.

“Do you not feel compelled to kneel before me? I am a god—”

“I’m aware that you’re a god. I created a PowerPoint on your pal Balder for my mythology class last semester.” He stammered, and I knew that I had stunned him. I continued. “If you want to look more natural down here in ‘Midgard,’ you might want to cut your hair and quit calling us ‘Midgardians.’ And lose the posh attitude while you’re at it.” We stared at each other for a moment longer, and I noticed that his eyes were the same grey hue as mine. They seemed to soften, and I felt a little guilty for being so harsh.

“I’m not quite sure how I got here. I mean, I know _how_ I got here—I pissed off Odin one too many times, and Heimdall was more than willing to shoot me out of Asgard—but I don’t exactly know where I am or what to do here. I just materialized in one of those tiny rooms, and thought I’d see what your Midgardian—er, Earthly—authors had to say about me.” Before he realized what I was doing, I reached out and took the book from him.

“You might not want to read that. ‘Earthly’ authors haven’t been so kind to you.” Just then the walkie talkie crackled at my hip, and I heard Bridget’s voice shortly after.

“Anja? Is everything okay? Has that weirdo kidnapped you—” I blushed and cut her off.

“Bridget! Everything is fine. I just got caught up helping a patron down here. I’ll be a bit longer.”

“Whatever you say. Just watch out for that creep—” I clicked the volume off before she could say any more.

 “Let’s go find one of those tiny rooms.”

            I was surprised that Loki was so willing to explain his circumstances. Perhaps it was because I was familiar with his story. Regardless, I felt pity for him despite his abrasive personality. We’d spend many a class period reflecting on the jackassery of the god of mischief. Against my better judgment, after hearing all he had to say, I offered to help him until he was on his feet in my realm.

“If you need somewhere to stay, I have a couch you could crash on.” He considered my offer for a moment, then grinned widely.

“That would be greatly appreciated, Anja.” I felt goosebumps forming on my skin when he said my name, but I tried to remain nonchalant.

“Just one thing…can you prove that you’re a god, and not some scary cosplay guy?” He didn’t catch the reference, but stood up nonetheless. In a moment he was gone, then reappeared behind me. He disappeared again and materialized across from me in the corner of the room, this time dressed in his traditional Asgardian garb. I stammered a barely coherent “that’s enough” before he transported back to his seat and was in casual clothing. I didn’t want him to sense the effect that seeing him all dressed up had had on me. I told him to follow me upstairs, where he could wait for the next couple of hours until we closed. Bridget, of course, was curious. I brushed her off, saying I would explain later and trying to ignore her inquisitive glances.

 


	2. Bringing Home Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To anyone still/just now reading this: thanks so much! Please feel free to leave a comment. Feedback is more than welcome! 
> 
> Anja takes the demigod home with her, then goes out to pick up some essentials. Unsurprisingly, the adjustment to living with the god of mischief is not particularly easy...

As I fumbled around for my keys on my doorstep that night, I prayed that I hadn’t left my apartment in _too_ terrible of a mess when I left. Eventually I found them and walked inside, followed by Loki, and breathed a sigh of relief when I wasn’t met with clean bras drying on the radiator. I turned to watch his expression as he entered, and he didn’t look impressed. I didn’t think I lived like Asgardian royalty, but it wasn’t bad for a college student.

“Right. I’ll just grab some blankets from my closet, then you can take the bed.” He seemed confused, and remained quietly in place until I motioned for him to follow me. “I know you’re a prince and all, so don’t let my _queen_ size bed intimidate you.” He chuckled, and I continued. “I don’t have classes or work tomorrow, so I can take you out to get more clothes. Get up whenever, but I’ll probably sleep pretty late. Feel free to fix yourself some breakfast; I gave the maids the weekend off.” He returned my humor with a blank stare. I sighed, gathered some spare blankets and pajamas, and went back to the living room.

“You’re going to sleep out here?” He had followed me out of my room. I turned to face him.

“Of course. Weren’t you listening?”

“Well yes, I was, but I’m surprised that you would give me the better lodgings in your own home.” I smiled.

“You’re the guest, aren’t you?” I caught a hint of a smile from him. “I’m pretty laid back. Just don’t burn the place down, okay? Bathroom’s the other door, you can take a shower or whatever demigods do. I’ll see you in the morning.” As I was making up a bed on the couch, I heard him whisper “good night” before closing the door.

            It was difficult to sleep that night. Normally, the energy I gained from walking each library floor to check for tired patrons took about an hour to wear off and then I could sleep soundly. This time, however, I was waking up every thirty minutes or so, constantly afraid that I would turn over and see Loki’s menacing visage beside me. Eventually, around 6am, I fell into a deep sleep. It wasn’t until noon that I groggily sat up and looked around. Light was struggling to break through my partially closed curtains, and I heard something coming from the kitchen. Smoothing my horrific bedhead, I looked over and saw Loki standing at the stove. I checked that my breath didn’t smell too badly before approaching him.

“Good morning.” Loki spun around, surprised that I was awake.

“Good morning!” He cracked an egg into the pan and let it cook before speaking again. “I…thought I could prepare breakfast...albeit a bit late…to say thank you.” I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of a Norse god making scrambled eggs in my pink pan.

“That’s really sweet of you.” I started the coffee maker and went back to the stove to watch him cook. His raven locks were slightly damp and clung to his shoulders. “Did my shampoo suit you?” He blushed.

“Yes, it sufficed.” He dished the eggs into a plate and set it on the counter. “I ate earlier, so this is yours.” I thanked him and sat down on a stool, my only form of dining table.

“Loki, this is excellent! Where did you learn to cook so well?” He grinned, and suddenly it registered that I hadn’t noticed him turn the gas on or off.

“Oh, I have my…ways.” He said vaguely, and I giggled.

“I’d have dressed more nicely if I’d known the god of mischief would be using his powers for eggs this morning.” He laughed and poured a little cream in his coffee before taking a sip. “So today we’ll need to find you some clothes, and get you deodorant, men’s shampoo—all those masculine sorts of things.” He nodded seriously and then began walking around my living room, picking up a CD or picture here and there, and I sighed. I’d have to adjust my jokes so I didn’t totally confuse him, but how do you make a demigod laugh? As I ate his delicious breakfast, I thought about everything we’d need to buy that day. It had been months since I’d had a boyfriend, and never one that lived with me. It struck me that it would be nice to have a man’s belongings lying around.

            Before we left my apartment, I pulled on my heavy coat and eyed Loki suspiciously. It was February, and although we’d likely seen the last of the snow, it was still bitterly cold. He was wearing a simple green sweater.

“Do you want to borrow a coat? I have an old one a friend left a while ago. I think it would fit you.”

“No, I won’t be needing it.” I decided not to push him, and he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest as we stepped out into the frigid wind.  Loki gazed out the window while I drove, taking everything in with watchful eyes. When we finally arrived at the mall, he seemed perfectly at ease surrounded by so many “Midgardians.” While Loki’s delicate body—yes, I’d taken a few glimpses, and could tell that beneath the sweater he was quite perfectly formed—deserved Burberry, my budget was a bit more Forever 21…and the clearance rack, at that. Loki followed dutifully as I led him around, suggesting shirts and pants and taking many of them. He did, however, seem to gravitate toward a particular color.

“Loki, you can’t wear green _every day_.”

“Why not? I do in Asgard.”

“Well in case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t Asgard. I don’t wear the same color every day, no one else does, it just doesn’t happen here.” He looked at me accusingly, and then I remembered that I was wearing a grey sweater. I’d been wearing a grey dress when he met me. “You’ve got me. Get whatever you want. Just maybe try to mix in a few neutral pieces? Some black or grey perhaps?”

            When we reached the cash register, Loki had a sizable pile. I decided not to worry about the cost and transfer money later. As he handed the items to the cashier, I noticed that she wasn’t taking her eyes off of him. I was surprised to realize that I was feeling jealous—me? of this strange…whatever he was? And it wasn’t as though we were in any way romantically involved; but still, I immediately disliked her. That feeling intensified when I noticed Loki smiling back at her when their eyes met. I hadn’t just agreed to buy a whole new wardrobe for some jerk to run off with a cashier without so much as thanking me. I refused to look at him as the girl slowly rung up each item. At last she was finished, and the total came to a little over $100. I sighed and began to slide my debit card out of my wallet, but then felt a hand on the small of my back.

“Don’t worry about it, darling. They’re my clothes; I’ve got it.” I turned to face Loki, who smiled at me as he handed over a gold Visa card. He rubbed my back briefly and winked before taking his card back from the girl. I noticed that she was noticeably less pleasant than before. Once we were out of the store, I  turned to look incredulously at him.

“Would you care to explain what just happened in there?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I _mean_ , you were eye-fucking the shit out of that girl, and then all of a sudden you’re massaging me? Come on, Loki.” He smirked.

“I noticed that she had taken a particular liking to me. I decided to have a little fun with her. I _am_ the god of Mischief, don’t you recall?” I let it sink in for a moment that Loki had flirted with me just to play a prank on young cashier. Suddenly all the jealousy I felt toward her—which I would have to interpret later on, when I’d calmed down—felt wrong.

“I know who you are, but that was cruel. She seemed really interested in you.” He shrugged.

“It is of little consequence. But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to take advantage of another girl’s feelings in such a manner. At least, not in your presence.” I sighed. I would have to take what I could get with him.

            Later that night, after stopping by Target to stock up on musky shower gel and cologne (which I had no small part in choosing), we sat down to pizza and a movie. During dinner Loki explained his Visa card, an explanation which I reduced to “magic” rather than trying to understand the deity’s trans-realm powers.  We watched the movie in relative silence, only speaking when Loki encountered a particular part of our culture that confused him. Around midnight I felt my eyelids drooping. It had been a long day, and I was still getting accustomed to having a constant houseguest. I changed into pajamas and stretched out on the end of the couch opposite Loki.

“You can stay up as long as you want,” I said. “I’m pretty tired, so I’ll probably be asleep soon.” He nodded, then turned back to the TV. That was all I remembered before dozing off.

            I woke up the next morning, and was surprised to see that the TV was turned off. I hadn’t thought Loki would be able to use the remote, but he must’ve figured it out. My next observation was that I was not cold as I ought to have been, owing to a thick blanket draped over me. I felt a knot in my stomach as I understood that Loki must have shut everything off and tucked me in before going to bed himself. However rude or mischievous he could be, I couldn’t erase the thought of him leaning over me and making sure that I was covered up. I set the blanket aside and tiptoed into my room. Loki had another heavy blanket over him, and he was curled up in a ball on one side of my bed. His clothes from yesterday were draped over my desk chair. I thought about reaching out to push a lock of hair from his face, admiring the contrast between his raven hair and snowy skin, but thought better of it and went back to my bed on the couch. 


	3. Opening Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anja and Loki quickly settle into routines, and Loki grows more comfortable with his Midgardian friend.

The weekend passed rather uneventfully, with Loki and I growing more accustomed to living together in such close proximity. I noticed a few of his quirks—letting his hair air-dry, biting at his nails when we walked around absent-mindedly—and softened toward him. I was thankful that our biggest conflict had been with the cashier at the mall. His mischief since then had been limited to minor nuisances. I began to find shoes scattered across the apartment, and the fact that I’d been keeping them tidily on a shoe rack for the past few months led me to believe that Loki couldn’t entirely refrain from a few harmless pranks. It wasn’t until I found my cellphone in the freezer that I had to address him, but he denied any involvement and no harm was done. 

On Monday morning I rose to find Loki already dressed and sipping coffee on my balcony. I wasn’t sure if I was more surprised that he had figured out how to operate my Keurig machine, or that he was casually sitting outside when it was below freezing temperatures. I had given up on trying to understand him days before, but this was a bit much. 

“Loki? What are you doing?” I stuck my head out the door, pulling the blanket even tighter around my shoulders.

“Ah, good morning Anja! Just taking in a beautiful morning. You have work today, do you not?” I glanced at the clock in the kitchen. 

“Yeah, in a couple of hours. But I really meant to ask why you’re outside. Aren’t you even a little cold?” He smirked. The same smirk he’d had when I asked about my cellphone.

“Let me come inside and explain myself to you.” He picked up the coffee cup, which looked like one from a child’s tea set in his large hand, and relocated to the couch. I tried to smooth my wild bedhead as I took a seat beside him. 

“You are familiar with my lineage, are you not?” I nodded. The unit on Loki in my Norse mythology class had not been generous to him, and many lessons ended with blaming his frost giant parents for his ill nature. “There are certain…drawbacks to being a frost giant.” His face grew dark, and I felt true pity for him. He quickly resumed speaking. “However, there are also some perks. For instance, I can endure any temperature. A week in your ‘Antarctica’ for me would be equivalent to a Hawaiian vacation for you.” I giggled at the thought of Loki in a bathing suit, lounging on a beach and sipping a fruity alcoholic drink, but he ignored me. “I enjoy the cold. I would prefer not to speak of the other qualities inherent in frost giants, if you don’t mind.” I shook my head.

“Don’t worry about it, Loki. Only tell me as much as you want.” He smiled, and I stood up.

“I need to get ready for work. I guess you’ll be coming with me, then? Or you can stay here. It doesn’t matter; I just don’t really want you wandering around ‘Midgard’ on your own.”   
“I had planned on accompanying you today.”

“That’s fine. Why don’t you pick a book or find something to keep you busy? Hell, I have some crayons in my desk if that’s more your speed.” I laughed, turning away from his confused look to get in the shower. 

Before starting work, I glanced at the shelves behind the desk. The religion section was overflowing, so I decided to focus on that area. It was a six hour shift, and I could certainly whip it into shape in that time. I decided to situate Loki in the basement so that I would be nearby if he needed me. I led him to a chair and study area in the corner of the floor, which was in my opinion the most beautiful of our modest library. The walls were wooden and the intoxicating smell of old books permeated the entire floor. As opposed to the sturdier metal shelves of the four stories above, the religion section’s old wooden bookshelves had a more homely feel. The custodians tended to neglect this area, probably because it was a bit unsettling at night when they worked, so a thin layer of dust was omnipresent on every surface. It wasn’t uncommon for months to pass before anyone got around to changing burnt out lights, leaving it dimmer than any other floor as well. Our university had partnered with a seminary to amass such as large volume of religious texts, and perhaps it was simply that the theological students preferred this environment to the bright cleanliness of the other sections. Either way, I always found it comforting to disappear there both on and off the clock. Loki didn’t seem to mind, either. Just before clocking in, I retrieved an old Runic text from our archives which brought a huge smile to Loki’s face. He quickly set about reading over the strange characters, and I knew that he would be occupied for some time. 

As I shelved, I thought about how things would progress with Loki. Certainly at some point he would want to leave my little apartment. His "magic" Visa could afford him anything he wanted; come to think of it, why was he still with me, anyway? Maybe he didn't feel prepared to venture beyond my apartment and school. I was surprised to realise that the thought of him leaving made me well up a bit. It had been fun having company for the past few days. Loki and I seemed to slip flawlessly into each other's routines, better than any of my other friends. However, I also felt guilty; a bit like I'd taken a wild animal into the house and resigned it to a shoebox. Loki was used to Asgardian palaces and moving as he pleased. Surely he would want to move on any day now, and it would be cruel to try to stop him. I decided to try to prepare him for life here to my best ability, and just accept when the time came for him to leave.


End file.
